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Summary

A classic in the field, this third edition will continue to be the book of choice for advanced undergraduate and graduate-level courses in theories of human development in departments of psychology and human development. This volume has been substantially revised with an eye toward supporting applied developmental science and the developmental systems perspectives. Since the publication of the second edition, developmental systems theories have taken center stage in contemporary developmental science and have provided compelling alternatives to reductionist theoretical accounts having either a nature or nurture emphasis. As a consequence, a developmental systems orientation frames the presentation in this edition. This new edition has been expanded substantially in comparison to the second edition. Special features include: * A separate chapter focuses on the historical roots of concepts and theories of human development, on philosophical models of development, and on developmental contextualism. * Two new chapters surrounding the discussion of developmental contextualism--one on developmental systems theories wherein several exemplars of such models are discussed and a corresponding chapter wherein key instances of such theories--life span, life course, bioecological, and action theoretical ones--are presented. * A new chapter on cognition and development is included, contrasting systems' approaches to cognitive development with neo-nativist perspectives. * A more differentiated treatment of nature-oriented theories of development is provided. There are separate chapters on behavior genetics, the controversy surrounding the study of the heritability of intelligence, work on the instinctual theory of Konrad Lorenz, and a new chapter on sociobiology. * A new chapter concentrates on applied developmental science.

Table of Contents

Preface to the Third Edition

xvii

Preface to the Second Edition

xxi

Preface to the First Edition

xxiii

Human Development: Facts or Theory?

1

(17)

Students and Basic Courses in Science: Facts Versus Theory

1

(6)

Examples of the Impermanence of Psychological ``Facts''

1

(5)

Conclusions: From Facts to Theory

6

(1)

Philosophy, Theory, and Research

7

(3)

Some Reasons for Doing Research

8

(2)

Textbooks in Human Development

10

(4)

This Text's Approach

11

(1)

Cattell's Inductive-Hypothetico-Deductive Model

12

(2)

Developmental Contextualism as an Instance of Developmental Systems Theory

14

(2)

Defining the Concept of Development

16

(2)

Historical Roots of Human Development: Concepts and Theories

18

(30)

The Historical Role of the Nature-Nurture Issue

18

(2)

Philosophical Roots

20

(4)

Plato (427-347 B.C.)

20

(1)

Aristotle (384-322 B.C.)

21

(1)

The Medieval Christian Era

22

(1)

Rene Descartes (1596-1650)

23

(1)

John Locke (1632-1704)

23

(1)

Scientific Roots of Development

24

(22)

Charles Darwin (1809-1882)

25

(1)

G. Stanley Hall (1844-1924)

26

(4)

Behaviorism and Learning Theory

30

(1)

World War II

31

(2)

The 1950s and 1960s

33

(2)

The 1970s and 1980s

35

(11)

The 1990s Through Today: The Emergence of Developmental Systems

46

(2)

Conclusions

47

(1)

Philosophical Models of Development

48

(38)

The Mechanistic-Philosophical Model

50

(8)

Translating the Mechanistic Philosophy Into a Theory of Development

53

(1)

A Nurture, Mechanistic Theory of Development

54

(3)

Problems of the Mechanistic Model

57

(1)

The Organismic Model

58

(4)

Translating the Organismic Model Into a Theory of Development

61

(1)

Mechanistic and Organismic Models and Issues of Development

62

(9)

Elementarism Versus Holism

63

(1)

Antecedent-Consequent Versus Structure-Function Relations

63

(2)

Behavioral Versus Structural Change

65

(1)

Continuity Versus Discontinuity

65

(1)

Stages of Development

66

(1)

Source of Development

66

(3)

Conclusions

69

(2)

The Contextual Model

71

(3)

Contextualism and Probabilistic Epigenesis

73

(1)

Developmental Contextualism and the Issue of Dispersion

74

(1)

The Concept of Development in Developmental Contextualism

74

(6)

Developmental Contextualism as a ``Compromise'' Conception

77

(3)

Limits and Problems of a Developmental-Contextual Perspective

80

(3)

Methodology and Issues for Intervention

82

(1)

Conclusions

83

(1)

Implications of Philosophical Models of Development for Scientific Activity

83

(3)

The Nature-Nurture Controversy: Implications of the Question How?

86

(20)

Toward a Resolution of the Nature-Nurture Controversy

87

(3)

The Position of Anne Anastasi

87

(3)

Heredity-Environment Dynamic Interactions

90

(12)

Nature Effects Are Indirect

90

(2)

Levels of the Environment

92

(2)

The Continuum of Indirectness

94

(5)

Nurture: The Continuum of Breadth

99

(3)

Conclusions

102

(1)

The Norm of Reaction

102

(4)

Limitations of the Norm-of-Reaction Concept

103

(3)

The Continuity-Discontinuity Issue

106

(32)

Defining the Issue

106

(4)

Description of Intraindividual Change

106

(1)

Explanation of Intraindividual Change

106

(1)

Descriptive and Explanatory Combinations

107

(2)

Quantitative Versus Qualitative Changes

109

(1)

Continuity-Discontinuity as a Theoretical Issue

110

(4)

The Role of Theory

110

(4)

The Contributions of Heinz Werner

114

(3)

Quantitative Change

115

(1)

Qualitative Change

115

(2)

The Orthogenetic Principle

117

(2)

The Orthogenetic Principle and the Continuity-Discontinuity Issue

117

(2)

The Phylogeny of Learning: Continuity or Discontinuity?

119

(4)

Ontogenetic Implications of the Continuity-Discontinuity Issue

123

(6)

The Presupposition of Limits and the Presupposition of Plasticity

124

(2)

Plasticity and Probabilistic Epigenesis

126

(1)

Plasticity as a Ubiquitous but Declining Phenomenon

127

(1)

Plasticity and Constancy in Development

128

(1)

Conclusions

129

(1)

The Stability-Instability Issue

129

(5)

Relation of Continuity and Discontinuity to Stability and Instability

131

(3)

Changes Characteristic of Development

134

(1)

Continuity and Discontinuity in Development: Metatheoretical and Theoretical Proscriptions and Prescriptions

134

(3)

Conclusions

137

(1)

Resolving the Nature-Nurture Controversy: T. C. Schneirla and the Concept of Levels of Integration

138

(25)

The Concept of Interaction

139

(3)

Weak Interactions

139

(1)

Moderate Interactions

140

(1)

Strong Interactions

140

(2)

The Contributions of T. C. Schneirla

142

(9)

Structure-Function Relations

142

(2)

Behavior Stereotypy Versus Behavioral Plasticity

144

(2)

Hebb's A/S Ratio

146

(1)

Ontogenetic Implications of Stereotypy-Plasticity and of the A/S Ratio

147

(1)

Intersensory Integration: An Illustration

148

(2)

Conclusions

150

(1)

Concepts Representing Development

151

(4)

A Definition of Development

151

(3)

Conclusions

154

(1)

The Critical-Periods Hypothesis

155

(3)

Weak and Strong Versions of the Hypothesis

156

(2)

Conclusions

158

(1)

Instinct: Innate Behavior

158

(2)

Conclusions

159

(1)

Circular Functions and Self-Stimulation in Development

160

(3)

A ``Third Source'' of Development

160

(2)

Conclusions

162

(1)

Developmental Systems Theories

163

(132)

Gilbert Gottlieb's View of Epigenesis

163

(6)

Modes of Experiential Contribution

166

(1)

What Maintains the Split in the Study of Human Development?

167

(1)

Conclusions

168

(1)

Thelen and Smith's Dynamic Systems Theory

169

(5)

The Development of Novel Forms Across Life

170

(1)

The Dynamics of the Developmental System

171

(2)

Stability and Change in Dynamic Systems

173

(1)

Conclusions

174

(1)

Magnusson's Holistic Person-Context Interaction Theory

174

(5)

Causality in Holistic Interactionism

175

(1)

Features of the Person-Environment System

176

(2)

Conclusions

178

(1)

Wapner's Holistic, Developmental, Systems-Oriented Perspective

179

(116)

Person-in-Environment Functioning Within the Holistic, Developmental System

180

(1)

Conclusions

181

(114)

Nature Approaches to Development: Konrad Lorenz and the Concept of ``Instinct''